I haven't quite figured out yet, does the poor economy fuel the wars or is it the other way around?

[NNN0LHI]

I know they have to be connected because there just wouldn't be enough people who would volunteer for this mess to keep it going if there were enough decent paying jobs available for them in their own towns. Joining the military was the job of last resort for people even without two sickening wars going on back when I was working. Still has to be that way yet enough keep enlisting to keep this insanity going.

But I also suspect continually pouring money down the drain to keep wars going will never allow our economy to recover either. There has to be better ways to spend this money.

Whats your opinion on this?

Don

[ShortnFiery]

1. We've had our MILITARY tentacles in one country or another since our Nation's Infancy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_military_operations

[MadHound]

2. I think that it is the wars that are dragging down the economy

I see tens of billions thrown into the bottomless pit of these wars and think how much good that money could do at home. With over half of our government spending tied up in the MIC, it is hard for the government to aid in righting our economic ship. No money for a stimulus, no money for education, health care or other social services.

This is also another enormous transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top rungs. Our tax money is taken out of our pockets and put into the pockets of those who build the weapons, provide services, fuel the machines, etc.

The Soviet Union followed this same path, and it bankrupted them, you think we would learn from that lesson.

[ensho]

3. neo cons make wars in order to make money

nt

[BeFree]

4. Trillion dollars

The US has spent trillions of dollars in the last 8 years with no return.
It has been a terrible investment scheme/scam.

[Captain Hilts]

5. Folks join to get health insurance. If you're working at Taco Bell & have a pregnant girlfriend what

else can you do?

[RickyM]

6. Wars

kill the economy except for the rich who learned that war spending was a great mechanism to transfer wealth from the poor to themselves.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Hisory of wars show that they broke the warring countries

eventually. The losers of the war get the bill.
Wars eat up resources that a peaceful economy can use to be prosperous
BUT
it is also true that recessions and poor economies have been used to create the "need" for war.

Mainly, most economies seem to end up with a bunch of thieves figuring out how to game the system and make a ton of money off both sides of any unrest, and to buy the people who keep wars going.

You don't need a poor economy to fuel a war.
But a long enough war can ruin an economy.

[Johonny]

9. +1

[liberal N proud]

8. Afghanistan broke Russia

Now it is doing the same to the US.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. History of empires show they eventually overreach.